Bad Prosecutor (2022) | K-Drama | Prosecutors Who Cover Up Crimes are Bad

Bad Prosecutor is a crime K-drama that made it crystal clear that prosecutors who use their positions of public trust to cover up crimes are BAD.

This Korean drama series, with 12 episodes, was released in 2022.

Jin Jeong (played by Doh Kyung-soo, 100 Days My Prince, Swing Kids) is an idealistic prosecutor. 

Some of his ways of investigating crimes can be considered “unorthodox” or “different from the herd”. But the only reason some of his co-workers want to label him as “bad' is because of the things they do when carrying out their official duties are really really bad.

Prosecutor Jin Jeong carries a wooden sword with words engraved on it that say “Anti-justice can not beat justice.” He zealously wields that sword figuratively and literally. Sometimes he gets into confrontations with criminals and has to defend himself. But he truly believes those words that his father taught him and tries to live by them.

Jin Jeong knew that some prosecutors had ways to erase dirty deeds, he simply developed ways to work around them so that justice could be served. How does that make him a bad prosecutor?

Doh Kyung-soo is the male lead in this series and as a loyal fan, I was not disappointed.  The storyline for Bad Prosecutor has room to grow and it would be great if there was a Season 2. But as of June 2023, there is no news in this regard.  If you have not watched this K-drama, I recommend adding it to your watch list.

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Korean Drama Review: The Witch's Diner (2021)

The Witch's Diner is a K-Drama series, based on a novel of the same name; 8 episodes, released in 2021, and started streaming on Viki in March 2023.

Be careful what you wish for.

Jeong Jin (played by Nam Ji-Hyun, “100 Days My Prince) was approached by a witch who told her she could make one wish. She wished for REVENGE! Her wish came true but she was filled with regret. From that time forward she tried her best to dissuade others from making their “one wish”. Or at the very least they should think long and hard before making it. Because once they made their wish, it could not be reversed. No matter how hard she tried, she could not convince others NOT to make a wish.

How are the wishes granted?

There is a restaurant called The Witch's Diner. The sign outside says wishes will be granted. Guaranteed! When the customer makes a wish, the witch prepares a dish for them to eat. They must eat everything and their one wish will come true.

This series is categorized as dark fantasy. But I thought it was a delightful fantasy. My main complaint about this K-drama series? I don't know where to find the recipes. Those dishes the witch prepared looked delicious! Personally, I would love to taste the Mind Comforting Tomato Soup.

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Glitch (2022): Alien Sci-Fi Korean Drama Series ~ Only on Netflix.

Hong Ji-hyo (played by Jeon Yeo-been) thinks she may have had an encounter with aliens when she was in middle school. By the time she becomes a young adult, she has been receiving psychiatric treatment because her parents are convinced her belief in aliens is a mental illness. They want her to get married and be “normal”. Her boyfriend announced that they were going to marry and her parents were thrilled. But then her boyfriend suddenly vanishes. Her parents think she chased him away. But she is convinced that he was abducted by aliens and goes to look for him.

The series is 10 episodes and it's about a young woman who searches for her missing boyfriend and uncovers cults and conspiracies about aliens. The storyline goes from weird to weirder to weirdest to … THIS IS FREAKING UNBELIEVABLE!!

The cast for this K-drama did a good job of acting. It was a believable sci-fi TV series. LOL.

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Finland Papa (2023) | A Viki Original K-Drama Series

Finland Papa is a K-drama Viki Original series that is an unusual story of love and healing.  Just 6 episodes; released in 2023. 

Finland Papa centers around the life of a young woman grieving the loss of her grandmother. In the first episode of this very short series, we meet Yu Ri (played by Kim Bo Ra). She is wearing the traditional black hanbok dress and standing alone in front of her grandmother's memorial. You can immediately feel her grief, pain and sorrow. Not only has she lost her grandmother, but her father had also tragically passed away. They were her only family. Now she is left in the world all alone. How will she carry on?

Her childhood friend encourages her to apply for a job at a restaurant called Finland Papa. According to the job ad, the applicant will be required to eat dinner with the staff. Yu Ri goes for the job interview and SHE'S HIRED!

There is something delightfully wonderful, yet mysterious and strange about the restaurant, such as:.

• None of the employees know who “Papa” is. They have never met the owner of the restaurant. But he gave 10 rules they must follow or they will lose their jobs.

One of those rules is: If one of the employees has a problem or something that's bothering them, all of the other employees must stop what they're doing and listen.

Read full review at PopGeeks.com

 

The Secret Romantic Guesthouse (2023) | A Delightful Viki Original Series Based on a Web Novel

The Secret Romantic Guesthouse (2023) is a Viki Original series, based on the web novel of the same name by Kim Jung Hwa. Close to 6000 Viki viewers have given it an overall rating of 9.6 out of 10 stars. I agree.

There are three flower scholars who become guests at Ihwawon Inn, an establishment run by a young noble lady named Yoon Dan-oh (played by Shin Ye-eun).

• The first flower scholar is Jung Yu-ha (played by Jung Gun-joo). He is already paying for a room before the other two guests arrive. The ghost rumor does not bother him. He has chosen to live at the inn because it is comfortable and convenient, and he hopes to one day win the heart of Yoon Dan-oh and marry her. 

• The second flower scholar is Kang San (played by Go Yoon-hwan better known as Ryeoun). He came to town in order to take the civil service exam for martial arts and hopefully become a member of the king's royal guard. He is looking for a place to stay and Yoon Dan-oh persuades (or rather she “tricks”) him into staying at the inn.

• The third flower scholar is Kim Shi-yeol (played by Kang Hoon). He has no money but he did try to help a damsel in distress. Yoon Dan-oh is being harassed by a nobleman, along with his friends, who are trying to compel her to get married. He arrives at her in, slightly bruised and battered. He tells her she should repay the debt by allowing him to stay at Ihwawon Inn.

Two of the scholars have a secret identity and are on a secret mission. One of the scholars has a secret identity that even he does not know about, but he is also on a secret mission. One of the three scholars is the crown prince whose life was saved by Yoon Dan-oh thirteen (13) years ago.  Which one?

Read the full review: The Secret Romantic Guesthouse | A Viki Original Historical Korean Drama Series | popgeeks.com

Narco Saints (2022) | Korean Drama Based on a True Story

Beware of a wolf in sheep's clothing.  Narco-Saints is a Netflix series released September 2022, and based on the true story based on the true story of a drug lord named Jo Bong-haeing.  This criminal creep is definitely not the hero of the story.  The hero is an honest businessman from South Korea who traveled to Suriname to set up an honest exporting business with his dear friend.  

• Kang In-gu (played by Ha Jung-woo) is the business and Pastor Jeon Yo-hwan (played by Hwang Jung-min). is the wolf in sheep's clothing; a drug lord pretending to be a servant of the Lord.

Watch and stream Narco-Saints

Kamg In-gu'ss friend is brutally murdered and he gets falsely accused and thrown into prison for drug smuggling.  While in prison he is visited by someone from the National Intelligence Service and is recruited to participate in a secret operation.  The goal of the operation is to capture the drug lord who deceived him and murdered his friend.  Uh oh!  The wolf has grabbed a tiger by the tail.  HE'S GOING DOWN!!

Read full review:  Narco Saints | Korean Drama Based on a True Story | popgeeks.com

Business Proposal (2022): Korean Drama Netflix Series

Business Proposal is a Netflix Series released in 2022.

What is the best way to avoid going on blind dates?  There are two different answers to that question. 

1) Get your friend to show up for the date in your place and have her put on an act that will make the blind date run away and never look back!

-OR- 

2) Propose marriage to your blind date.  For real??  No!  Of course, it is not a real marriage proposal.  But it is a real business proposal.

• Shin Ha-ri (played by Kim Se-jeong) works as part of Go Food's Food Development Team One. 

She not only comes up with great recipes but creative ideas of how to turn the company's food products into best sellers. Her parents run a restaurant that sells great fried chicken. Her family, which also includes a younger brother, is not rich but they live comfortably and are happy. Her BFF (best friend forever) is Jin Young-seo.

Jin Young-seo hates the idea of arranged marriages and wants to marry for love. The problem is she keeps getting set up to go on blind dates to meet her “future husband”. But it's not really a “problem” because she has found the perfect way to get out of going on these dates. She sends her BFF instead.

• Kang Tae-moo (played by Ahn Hyo-seop) is the president of Go Food. 

He did not work his way up the corporate ladder. His grandfather put him in charge. But nobody can accuse him of not doing his job. He runs the business operations successfully, not just in South Korea, but in foreign markets as well.

Kang Tae-moo's grandfather wants him to marry so that hopefully he will see his grandchild before he departs this life. But Tae-moo has “issues” and does his best to avoid marriage. Kang Tae-moo's grandfather orders him to go on blind dates until he finds the woman who will become his mate for life. OR ELSE!!

Shin Ha-ri shows up pretending to be Young-seo, not realizing that the blind date is HER BOSS!  Shin Ha-ri does everything she can to discourage him and make him dislike her, not realizing that Tae-moo didn't want to be on the date either.

Tae-moo thinks her behavior is strange but he is distracted by his own thoughts. He's thinking of how to avoid the remaining blind dates his grandfather set up for him. He comes up with the perfect way to get out of going on these dates. He proposes marriage to Shin Ha-ri.

WHAT???!!!!

No worries. It's not a marriage proposal. It's a business proposal.

Shin Ha-ri signs a contract pretending to be his future wife. She goes FROM pretending for her best friend TO pretending for her best friend's blind date.  That way Kang Tae-moo's grandfather can stop pestering him and he can keep being married to his work.

Why do the best-laid plans always seem to backfire?

Read full review at PopGeeks.com:  Business Proposal | Netflix Korean Drama Series Based on Webtoon

  

Historical Korean Drama Webtoon Adaptation | Joseon Attorney: A Morality (2023)

Joseon Attorney: A Morality (2023) is a historical Korean drama series that stars Woo Do-Hwan. Fans of this popular South Korean actor are very pleased with his performance in this webtoon adaptation as the Joseon attorney Kang Han-Soo. 

For Money, Justice, or Revenge?

Kang Han-Soo (played by Woo Do-Hwan) was supposed to be dead. His father was falsely accused and executed. The false accusers then went to his home and killed his mother by hanging her, making it appear as a suicide. The people behind the brutal murder of his parents believed that he had died when his family home was burned down. But he survived, grew up, and studied to become a lawyer. He has a childhood friend who helps him with various court cases. 

Initially, he creates the impression that he is only practicing law for the money. But his plan also includes getting revenge for the unjust deaths of his parents.  However, when he takes different cases to defend commoners and slaves who have been wronged by greedy corrupt noblemen and wins, the people praise him for his noble efforts.  

• Kpopmap.com supplied an excellent summary of this K-drama series:  “Originally by Sim Gun and Writer Jeong, "Joseon Lawyer" is a hugely popular historical webtoon about a manipulative lawyer who orchestrates lawsuits and takes advantage of the victims but accidentally gets hailed as a savior of the people, which leads him to reflect upon himself and grow as a true server of justice.” 

Duty After School | K-Drama Sci-Fi Series Based on a Webtoon

Duty After School is a Korean drama sci-fi series based on a webtoon by Ha Il-Kwon.  It's 10 episodes, released in 2023, and currently streaming on Rakuten Viki. 

*****

High School Seniors Earn Credits for College

It's your last year of high school and the last thing that you're thinking about is … FIGHTING ALIENS! And it's not a video game or anime. It's REAL!

For about a year there have been some strange-looking spheres floating in the skies. Were they dangerous? Did they pose a threat? Nobody knew. Nothing ever happened. Well! According to the news that was reported to the general public, nothing happened. The military knew a different story but the higher-up officials who headed up defense operations did not want to cause mass panic and hysteria. 

Seongjin High is a typical high school with a typical graduating senior class of boys and girls. There's the girl that all the guys like, the besties who always stick together, the nerds, the outcast, the class clown, the bully, etc. One day the homeroom teacher for Grade 3 Class 2 announces that early admissions to college or university have been canceled. Instead, the students will serve in the military. No worries. Their service will be translated into credits that will count toward their future education.

That announcement on that day changed their lives forever!!

Each episode of Duty After School poses a new challenge for these kids to overcome. The characters are very diverse and the differences in personalities often cause clashes. 

• Some are selfish and immature, and their fear makes them think only of themselves. They are not team players but they will stick with the team because … it's safer when you stick together. 
• Others prove to be brave and loyal and emerge as leaders who can take charge when serious decisions must be made. They will make a sacrifice for the team if they have to.  

Fortunately for all of them, Platoon Leader Lee Choon-Ho (played by Shin Hyun-Soo) is an excellent role model.

• Viki viewers gave Duty After School a rating of 9 out of 10 stars. I agree.

• Read full review on PopGeeks.com. 

K-Drama Review: Delivery Man (2023)

Scriptwriters for Delivery Man get A+++ for their creativity.  A taxi service for ghosts?  What an unusual storyline.

A taxi service for ghosts? Seo Young Min (played by Yoon Chan Young), is a cab driver who discovers that he can see and hear ghosts. These wandering souls are unable to leave this world because when they departed this life, they had some unfinished business. He starts a service where he picks up these lingering souls, and helps them finish what needs to be done so that they can be delivered into the afterlife.

It proves to be a profitable business endeavor. Only …? His first ghost passenger is Kang Ji Hyun (played by Minah). Her problem is not so easy to solve because she has no memory of who she is and why she ended up in his taxi cab. But she does prove to be a valuable assistant and with her help, Seo Young Min can help his other ghost passengers pass on to the next world.

This series was released in 2023 and is only 12 episodes. Viki viewers rated it 9.3 out of 10 stars.

Read full review at PopGeeks: Delivery Man | Viki Original Korean Drama Series

K-Drama Adapted from a Webtoon: The Heavenly Idol (2023)

The Heavenly Idol is a 2023 Korean Drama series, adapted from a webtoon, titled "Sungseureowoon Idol”, by Shin Hwa-Jin. 

The writers poked fun at the entertainment industry and in particular, K-Pop boy groups. But it was done in good humor and good taste; and not meant to be insulting or derisive. In addition, I became a fan of Kim Min Kyu when he played the king in “Queen: Love and War”. In “The Heavenly Idol, he did a great job playing both a high priest from the other world and an idol in the new world. Since he had the lead role, I would not be willing to give the show a lower rating.

Per this user review found at IMDb: “The Heavenly Idol is quite frankly a perfect romantic comedy. It has a very wide range cast of characters that are all so much fun to watch, with each one adding a little bit of flair to the overall plot line. The story is fun, interesting, and just different enough to make it stand out from the crowd.”

I could not have said it better.

Lembrary (played by Kim Min Kyu) is a loyal and pure high priest who serves the god Redlin. Right at the precise moment that he is about to eliminate the Devil, he gets a splitting headache. When he opens his eyes and can see clearly he is shamefully dressed in black. I mean … he's a high priest and his bare abdomen is showing.  What happened to his long white robe?  That's not all. His hair is short, it's a different color, and his name is Woo Yeon-Woo. He's supposed to be a sexy male idol, a member of a not-so-successful K-Pop boy group called Wild Animal. Sexy? Idol? Wild? How vulgar!  The spirit of Lembrary, the high priest of Redlin, is trapped in the body of Woo Yeon-Woo. 

Kim Dal (played by Go Bo-Gyeol) met Woo Yeon-Woo (BEFORE he became possessed by Lembrary). He gives her an autographed CD and encourages her with kind words. He tells her that she'll be alright and he knows this because he has a gift for healing people. From that moment forward Kim Dal becomes a devoted fan of Woo Yeon-Woo.

***

Guess who else came to the “new world”: The Devil!

The Devil (played by Lee Jang Woo) switched bodies with Shin Jo-Woon, the Chairman of RU Entertainment. His presence is not an accident. He has been sent from the other world to kill Lembrary.  His minions are recruited by another being from the other world, who heads up an organization called the Red Rain Battalion in the new world. It's surprising how many humans are willing to sell their souls. Where does the RRB find so many willing souls? Uuuh … celebrities in show business. Where else?

Read my full review of The Heavenly Idol at PopGeeks.com.

Decoy: Crime and Mystery Korean Drama Series

Decoy is a K-drama crime and mystery series that has two (2) seasons. Seasons 1 and 2 were both released in 2023 and are six (6) episodes each. 

~ Noh Sang Chun (played by Heo Sung Tae) is a thug turned mastermind scammer.

~ Goo Do Han (played by Jang Geun Suk) is a lawyer turned detective.

~ Kang Jang Hoon (played by Lee Sung Wook) was once a detective but is now the Deputy Head. When he was a detective, he was in charge of the team investigating the crimes of Noh Sang Chun. However, the case was closed because the prime suspect died. As the Deputy Head, he is now Goo Do Han's boss.

Goo Do Han is very good at investigating but sometimes his superiors discipline him because he may have not followed "procedure".  The Deputy Head has a problem. It's been 10 years since the death of Noh Sang Chun. But several murders are occurring and before the victims die they call the police and say “Help! I am being killed by Noh Sang Chun.”

Detective Goo Do Han is supposed to be at home because he was suspended pending an internal review. He is not supposed to be working. The Deputy Head disregards the fact that Goo Do Han has been suspended from official duty and calls him back to work on this case.

Detective Goo Do Han is stuck between a rock and a hard place. It seems not only is he trying to bring criminals on the outside to justice, but there are corrupt government officials and police investigators on the inside who may be involved as well. He really needs to do his job while watching his back! If he doesn't, he might end up being one of the murder victims. He needs to determine:

• If Noh Sang Chun was reported dead but is in fact, alive and committing murders; or
• If someone is committing murders and confusing the police by claiming to be Noh Sang Chun.

It is amazing how much intensity could be packed into 12 episodes. Viewers who like crime and mystery TV shows will want to add Decoy Parts 1 and 2 to their watch list.

Read my full review of this K-drama series at PopGeeks.com.

Kokdu: Season of Deity | Viki Original Korean Drama Series

Kokdu: Season of Deity is a Viki Original Korean Drama Series, released 2023.  How long does a season of deity last? 99 days. During that time, Kokdu, a cruel angry death god, needs to find a woman, win her heart, and she must say the words “I love you”. 

Image credit:  Viki.com

Kokdu is a really mean and nasty death god, who is being punished because he incurred the wrath of the Creator. The only way he can be freed from this punishment is if a woman who knows how awful he is but still falls in love with him, faults and all. Like the fairy tale, “Beauty and the Beast”? Eh! Sort of. 

Kokdu Was Once a Human

Before he became a vengeful, hateful, angry, merciless, really mean, and nasty god, he was a human named Oh-hyeon. He was a handsome warrior in Silla, one of the three kingdoms in ancient Korea. He lost his life because he loved Seol Hui, a woman who had been gifted as a concubine to another man. The plan was for the two of them to run away together. Their plan was discovered and he was killed. Seol Hui decided that she did not want to live without him and so she committed suicide. 

In the afterlife, he was always angry and he refused to obey any commands received from the Creator. For him, there was no punishment that could be worse than what he had already experienced in the land of the living.  He was wrong.  It is much more painful and lasted much longer.  The Creator made him the death god and every 99 years he is reincarnated to visit the land of the living.  He is allowed to be there for 99 days, i.e. for a "season".  During this season of deity, he hopes that he will find the woman who can end his punishment.

• Kim Jung-hyun plays Kokdu / Oh-hyeon / Doctor Do Jin-woo.

• Im Soo-hyang plays Seol Hui / Doctor Han Gye-jeol.

Read the complete review at Popgeeks.

Our Blooming Youth: Historical Period Korean Drama

Our Blooming Youth is a historical period Korean drama series, released in 2023. It’s 20 episodes and currently streaming on Rakuten Viki.

• Crown Prince Lee Hwan is played by Park Hyung Sik. It was rumored that the crown prince murdered his brother so that he could take his place on the throne. Because of this wicked act, he was sent a “ghost letter”. Supposedly a ghost wrote a letter that said he is cursed. The curse has several parts to it. He will never be king, he will be betrayed by those he trusts, he will cause many people to die, and finally, he will die all alone with no wife and no children.
• Lady Min Jae Yi is played by Jeon So Nee. She is the daughter of a nobleman who is also the master/teacher of the crown prince. In addition, she is engaged to be married to the prince’s best friend. It was rumored that she betrayed her husband-to-be by engaging in an illicit affair, and murdered her entire family in order to run away with her lover. She’s a fugitive on the run, a lady in distress.

Read the full review on Medium.com.

Viki Original Korean Drama Series: The Red Sleeve (2021)

"The Red Sleeve" is a Viki Original Korean drama series released in 2021.  It is based on the love story between King Jeongjo and Royal Noble Consort Ui-bin Seong. 

Image credit: “The Red Sleeve” (2021)

• “The drama is based on historical records such as the fact that Uibin Seong, whose real name is Seong Deok-im, rejected Jeongjo's proposal to make her his concubine, not just once but twice. ...” (Source)

Lee Jun-ho plays Yi San, later King Jeongjo. He continuously strives to be a good king; a ruler who is kind and benevolent to his people. During the Joseon Era, everybody knows that all of the women in the palace are the king's women. He can have free access to any woman he chooses and does not have to ask their permission. The king knows this is the rule. But aren't the court ladies also his people?

Court ladies in the palace wear uniforms that have a red cuff on their sleeves. The king is attracted to a particular court lady named Seong Deok-im played by Lee Se-young. He does not want his relationship with her to be based on fear. He wants her to love him and willingly become his woman. Seong Deok-im initially resists the king's advances toward her. She feels that her life as a court lady affords her a certain amount of freedom. If she becomes the king's woman, she will no longer be free. If she becomes the mother of his children, she can not love and cherish them as an ordinary mother. They are her children, but they are also royal children and if they are sons they are heirs to the throne.

She eventually falls in love with the king but still tries to resist becoming his woman. In the end, LOVE WINS. She becomes Royal Noble Consort Ui-bin Seong. Just as she predicted, she did have to give up her freedom. The king was very happy to have her by his side and she was happy to be by his side. But she was not completely happy because in order to live as the king's woman, she had to sacrifice her free spirit. Not to mention, since it was obvious to everyone that she had the king's favor, some of the other king's women were “haters”. You can imagine the malicious backbiting she endured from them.

This series is 16 episodes and it is a very sad love story. There was no fairy tale ending. Choosing to marry the prince or the king does not always result in living happily ever after.

Original source

Under the Queen's Umbrella: Korean Drama TV Series on Netfilx Released in 2022

Under the Queen's Umbrella is a Korean historical period drama series, released in 2022, that is currently streaming on Netflix. 

16 intense episodes. Viewers gave this series 4.9 out of 5 stars. I totally agree.  Kim Hye-Soo's performance as Queen Im Hwa-Ryeong is award-worthy. But giving credit where credit is due, quite frankly, all of the actors and actresses in this series gave exemplary performances. They played their roles as if they were real historical figures in the Joseon Era.

The worth of the flowers in the palace, i.e. the king's women, is judged by how many sons they bare the king. 

 Queen Im Hwa-Ryeong (played by Kim Hye-Soo) has been very fortunate. She bore five (5) sons for the king. Her oldest son is the crown prince, but he is suffering from a life-threatening illness. He could die any day! If he were to die, who would take his place? The crown prince already has a son of his own, so according to the line of succession, his son, her grandson, should be heir to the throne. Then as alternatives, one of his brothers, her four other sons who are grand princes, could be chosen. But her sons are perfectly content to never be king. She would have been content to allow them not to pursue the throne EXCEPT … the deposed queen (i.e. the queen before her) also had many sons.  When she realized the lives of her sons were in jeopardy, she immediately made up her mind that her sons would not suffer the same fate as Queen Yoon and her sons.

Queen Im Hwa-Ryeong now understands that THIS IS WAR!

Read full review at My Sageuk Addiction on Medium.com.

Original source

Viki Original Korean Drama Series: Queen: Love and War (2019)

Queen: Love and War was released in 2019.  In this Viki Original Korean drama series, a young prince meets and makes friends with a nobleman's daughter, when they were children. An accident happens on a boat and the girl he met is tossed overboard. Her father believes that she drowned. Her twin sister grows up and the prince, now king chooses her to be his bride; not realizing that she is the twin sister and NOT the girl he met when he was younger. Corrupt officials arrange to have both King Lee Kyung and his queen, Kang Eun Bo, assassinated on their wedding day. They succeed in killing the sister but the king miraculously comes back to life. The people are terrified of him. How can he possibly come back from the dead? 

Image credit:  “Queen: Love and War” (2019)

Coming back from the dead isn't all.  Let's not forget about the prophecy. Twins were supposed to be an evil omen. It's the reason nobody knew that the nobleman had twin daughters. He kept their birth a secret for fear they would be harmed.

The twin sister realizes that her sister has been murdered. She takes her sister's body and secretly buries it. Then she returns to the palace AS IF she has also risen from the dead, just like the king. The king not knowing that she is the young girl he had met as a child, also believes that his wife has come back to life. However, the twin sister's main purpose for returning to the palace is to discover who murdered her sister. For all she knew, even the king may have been involved. 

As she investigates to uncover the truth, she eventually realizes the king is innocent and falls in love with him. The problem is that she has already deceived him into believing that she is the one who died. This makes their personal relationship very complicated. AS IF life in the palace wasn't already complicated with all of the scheming, conniving, ruthless, greedy politicking that was going on.

• Kim Min-kyu plays the king, Lee Kyung

• Jin Se-yeon plays the twin sisters, Kang Eun-bo and Kang Eun-gi

This series is 16 episodes. It's love and war alright and the queen is right in the middle.

Original source

Viki Original Korean Drama Series: Grand Prince (2018)

Grand Prince is a Viki Original Korean drama series released in 2018. This 21-episode series is historical fiction, although it is loosely based on the true stories of Grand Prince Anpyeong and King Sejo.

Image credit: “Grand Prince” (2018)

It's a love triangle. But only because one grand prince does not want to accept the fact that the woman he wants has already chosen his younger brother. Her choice just adds to the list of all of the rest of the reasons that he is jealous and envious of his younger brother. It's a one-sided rivalry because the feelings are not mutual. The younger brother truly loves his big brother. It's not his fault that the royal adults chose to send his brother away from the palace and allowed him to stay in the palace. Whenever his older brother comes to the palace he is always happy to see him.

• Yoon Shi Yoon plays the younger brother, Lee Hwi, Prince Eun Sung. He doesn't really want to be king, even though he has the character to become a great king. He is sent to serve in the military to prove that he is worthy to rule.

• Jin Se Yeon plays Sung Ja-hyun, a noble lady, who falls in love with Grand Prince Lee Hwi. They pledged their hearts to each other.  When the grand prince is called to serve in the military, she vows to wait until he returns. If he does not return she will remain unmarried and live her life in a Buddhist temple. One thing she has determined in her mind is that she will NOT become his older brother's woman.

• Joo Sang Wook plays the older brother, Lee Kang, Prince Jin Yang, who covets everything that his younger brother has, including his woman. Unlike his younger brother, he has a strong desire to be king. He secretly arranges for his brother to be killed in battle and intends to take his brother's woman.

Original source

K-Drama Review: Bad and Crazy (2021)

Bad and Crazy is a K-drama series released in 2021 that incorporates the topic of multiple personality disorders in its storyline.  But it is not based on a true story and should definitely not be construed as mental health advice.  

That being said, if you like detective shows you should add this show to your watch list.  It's very entertaining.

Image credit: Netflix

Lee Dong-Wook plays Ryu Sool-Yeol. He’s “The Bad”.

Although he’s not really a bad guy. He just wants career advancement in the law enforcement agency he works for and figures the best way to get a promotion is to overlook or cover up crimes that have been committed. All he has to do is neatly wrap things up, close the cases, and file them away. This way he gets promoted collects a steady paycheck, and does not upset the “higher ups” in the police department or in the government who could make his life miserable or even kill him to get him out of their way! He’s not bad. He’s just realistic. I mean … he’s no HERO! Or is he??

Wi Ha Joon plays “K”. He’s “The Crazy”.

When viewers are first introduced to this character, they might think that he’s possibly a ghost who decided to occupy Ryu Sool-Yeol’s body in order to make him do the right thing. But as time goes on, “K” is revealed as Ryu Sool-Yeol’s alter ego; a justice-seeking HERO! Whereas Ryu Sool-Yeol would get down on his knees and grovel at the feet of a corrupt politician he knows committed murder and agree not to expose his wrongdoing, “K” would publicly kick that politician in the face. slap him around, and call him a murderer, out loud in front of several witnesses who just can’t believe what they’re seeing. I mean … is he CRAZY??!!! “K” may act crazy, but “K,” says … he’s a HERO!!

So? Does Ryu Sool-Yeol have a split personality? Yes! Yes, he does.

But what happened to him to cause this mental health condition?

Not saying. No spoilers.

Original source

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